During the roasting of copper pyrites (), a specific flux is added to the reverberatory furnace to h — Metallurgy and Isolation of Elements Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Copper pyrites contain a significant iron impurity. During roasting, the iron is oxidized to $FeO$. To remove this basic impurity, an acidic flux, Silica ($SiO_2$), is added to the furnace to form a fusible slag of ferrous silicate ($FeSiO_3$).